Key Points
- The IRGC claimed control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz and warned against passage by certain vessels
- The incident has not been independently confirmed by the United States or international maritime authorities
ISLAMABAD: Iran struck a United States-linked oil tanker in the Arabian Gulf with a missile, which caught fire, Iranian state TV reported, quoting a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) amid expanding war in the region.
According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the IRGC said the vessel was struck this morning in the northern part of the Gulf and is currently burning.
The official statement, carried by state media, did not provide the tanker’s name, ownership details, the extent of damage or information about casualties.
The IRGC’s statement also asserted that it has “full control” of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow and strategically vital shipping route connecting the Gulf to the Indian Ocean. It is the route for a significant portion of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipping.
It warned that in a time of war, military and commercial vessels linked to the United States and its allies would not be allowed to transit without risk of being struck.
There has been no immediate independent confirmation of the reported strike from the United States Department of Defence, the United States Navy, international maritime monitoring organisations or major shipping authorities.
The reported incident comes amid an intensifying military conflict between Iran and a coalition including the United States and Israel that has seen missile and drone exchanges across a broad swath of the Middle East.
The escalating conflict, turning into a wider war, has already disrupted commercial shipping in the Gulf and alarmed energy markets worldwide.
The Arabian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz are among the world’s most important energy corridors, with a substantial share of globally traded crude oil and natural gas transiting the waters.
Any attack on commercial vessels or disruption to navigation could have significant implications for global energy supplies and insurance premiums for tanker operations.
Maritime security analysts say independent verification of such events typically emerges from vessel distress calls, satellite tracking data and reports from naval patrols operating in contested waters.
Further details about the tanker’s identity, crew status and specific location of the reported strike were not immediately available.
